Chocolate-Cherry Ice Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce

Sauce

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Filling

• 3/4 pound fresh Bing cherries, pitted, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 quart purchased vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• Chocolate Cookie Crust
  

For sauce:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Filling:
Combine cherries and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thick syrup forms, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract. Cool to room temperature.

Place ice cream in large bowl. Fold in cherry mixture and chocolate chips. Pack ice cream mixture into crust. Cover pie and freeze. (Sauce and pie can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate sauce. Keep pie frozen.)

Rewarm sauce over low heat. Cut pie into wedges; serve with sauce.